Though it’s about as surprising as the streamer making poor business decisions, Netflix’s latest fantasy drama series The Sandman, merely days into its total lifespan, has managed to grab the number one television spot on Netflix’s Top 10. Amassing nearly 70 million hours watched from August 1 to August 7 (the show released on August 5), it’s a steady step ahead of its nearest competitor, Keep Breathing, which boasts just under 55 million hours watched.
But it’s not good news for all the nostalgia-drenched Netflix content; the last week also saw Stranger Things 4 take something of a fall, dropping to fourth place below season four of Virgin River and above the first season of Manifest. It’s nothing to sneer at, of course, seeing as how it and its previous season have both held positions in Netflix’s Top 10 for the eleventh week in a row, with the second season of Stranger Things only just having dropped out of the top ten this week.
Nevertheless, it seems that all eyes are on Tom Sturridge, who brings a broody gravitas to the King of Dreams in the adaptation from Neil Gaiman’s comic of the same name. He’s just one in a band of gripping performances alongside Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, and Boyd Holbrook.
The series follows Morpheus (aka Dream), who is captured by an occultist in the early 1900s and imprisoned for over 100 years. After breaking free in the present day and beginning to harbor a disdain for humans, Morpheus seeks to repair the damage done to his realm, the Dreaming, which has ruptured quite a bit in his absence.
The Sandman is currently streaming on Netflix.
